Nga Belind Kelliçi
Pandemia COVID-19 ka patur nje ndikim serioz ne ekonomine e Shqiperise, si dhe ate te rajonit. Faktet, jo aludimet, qartazi tregojne qe qeveria e Shqiperise e ka perdorur kete krize per te shkaterruar simbole historike dhe kulturore, per te ushtruar dhune policore mbi protestues paqesore dhe per te dhene miliona Euro ne tendera dhe koncesione te dyshimta, duke e thelluar gropen proverbiale ne ekonomine tone te brishte dhe demokracine e kercenuar ne nivele qe zorr se do te rikuperohen ne 20 vitet ne vijim.
Albert Ajnshtajn ka thene se: “ne mesin e cdo krize, qendrojne mundesi te medha”. Ata qe jane te vemendshem, i kane pare shenjat e pamohueshme qe investime kapitale te konsiderueshme po largohen nga Kina. Eshte nje fenomen teper i fuqishem dhe i thjeshte per tu kuptuar, nje numer i madh biznesesh qe me pare e vleresonin krahun e lire te punes qe ofronte Kina si prioritetin kryesor per modelin e tyre perkates te biznesit, tani duan ti largojne bizneset e tyre nga Kina. Japonia ka vene ne dispozicion 2.2 miliarde dollare per te mbeshtetur bizneset japoneze qe duan te largohen nga Kina.
COVID-19 gjithashtu ka bere bizneset Europiane te rikonsiderojne sigurine e zinxhirit prodhues per produktet e tyre. Arsyet per kete distancim nga Kina jane te shumta, perfshire ketu mungesen e qendrueshmerise dhe sigurise ne klimen e biznesit qe Kina ofron dhe tensionet e larta mes Kines dhe demokracive perendimore te krijuara nga, mes te tjerave, refuzimi i Kines per te qene transparente ne lidhje me gjenezen e COVID-19 dhe dhuna brutale qe po perdoret per te shuar protestat ne Hong Kong.
Nuk ka nevoje per shume mendim qe te kuptojme se cila eshte mundesia e ofruar ne kete krize. Shqiperia eshte terheqese nga ana gjeografike, me aksese te shumta ne rajon nepermjet detit dhe tokes. Shumica e krahut te punes ne Shqiperi eshte ne moshe te re, flet me shume se nje gjuhe, eshte e arsimuar dhe fatkeqesisht e papunesuar. Ky krah pune eshte i gatshem te plotesoje cdo nevoje, duke filluar nga prodhimi i thjeshte i materialeve bazike dhe duke mbaruar tek kodimi i programeve komplekse kompjuterike mbi te cilat kompanite ne bote ndertojne gjithe aktivitetin e tyre tregtar. Dhe per ta bere edhe me te prekshme kete mundesi, cmimi qe kompanite e huaja duhet te paguajne per te punesuar kete krah pune eshte shume terheqes, vecanerisht kur merret ne konsiderate cilesia e produktit te prodhuar. Ka ngelur vetem nje pyetje e thjeshte, KU ESHTE QEVERIA?
Perse qeveria shqiptare nuk krijon nje pakete fiskale qe ofron incentiva per kompanite qe kane interes ti levizin qendrat e tyre operacionale nga brigjet e Kines, ne brigjet e Adriatikut? Perse qeveria shqiptare nuk i ofron ketyre kompanive incentiva qe perfshijne perjashtimin nga taksimi i dividendit per 20 vjet, TVSH me te ulet ne rajon (dhe berjen zero te TVSH per ato kompani qe vine ketu nga Kina dhe operojne ne sektore strategjike per Shqiperine), dhenien e te drejtes se perdorimit pa qera te godinave dhe tokave qe sot rrine te paperdorura ne Shqiperi dhe presin per politikanin dhe/ose gangsterin e rradhes ti quaje te tijat? Perse nuk ka bere qeveria shqiptare nje liste te gjithe bizneseve perendimore qe operojne ne Kine dhe qe do ishin te pershtatshem per te operuar nga Shqiperia dhe ti pyese keto biznese nje nga nje se cfare do te ishin nevojat e tyre ne menyre qe levizja e tyre ne Shqiperi te kthehej ne realitet?
Perse qeveria shqiptare nuk ben detyren e saj themelore, garantimin e te ardhmes per rinine e ketij vendi? Perse agjencite per promovimin e investimeve ne Shqiperi nuk jane duke punuar krah ne krah me biznese qe duan te levizin nga Kina dhe ti terheqin per te ardhur ne Shqiperi? Perse qeveria shqiptare nuk ka krijuar nje plan strategjik per te cliruar bllokimet konstante ne transportin ajror, detar dhe tokesor ne menyre qe te lehtesoje logjistiken operacionale per transport dhe te terheqe investime? Perse qeveria shqiptare as nuk e ka menduar lehtesimin, pershpejtimin dhe transparencen e procedurave doganore, vecanerisht per investitoret e huaj?
Pergjigjet jane te ndryshme dhe fatkeqesisht, ne varesi te interesave te atij/asaj qe po pergjigjet. Sidoqofte, faktet jane krijesa kokeforte qe nuk fshihen e nuk manipulohen kollaj nga i vetmi grupim funksional i kesaj qeverie te deshtuar, makina Orwelliane e propogandes qe ka si specialitet Gjuhen e Dyfishte. Populli shqiptar eshte ngopur me konceptet e “e keqja” eshte “e mire”, “te ndjekesh” eshte “te udheheqesh”, “bindja” eshte “liri”, “injoranca” eshte “dituri”. Shqiptaret meritojne shume here me shume se cfare i ka ofruar kjo qeveri!
Ne cdo krize ka nje mundesi. Nuk ka asnje dyshim qe bota eshte ne krize. Nuk ka asnje dyshim qe Kina eshte ne krize. Shqiperia nuk e perballon dot me te vazhdoje krizen 7-vjecare te nje qeverie pa drejtues, te mbushur me korrupsion dhe me kostume bosh qe e perdorin pushtetin vetem per te vjedhur, genjyer dhe mashtruar. Ka ardhur koha qe Shqiperia ti hape dyert biznesit dhe sipermarrjes private dhe per te treguar seriozitetin e saj ne kete hapje, te krijoje nje pakete incentivash qe i thote botes perendimore qe Shqiperia do qe te permiresoje nivelin e saj dhe qe kete gje do qe ta beje krah ne krah me bizneset dhe sipermarrjet perendimore.
Fjalet jane te lira! Te ndenjurit pa bere asgje eshte teper e shtrenjte!
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China gave us COVID-19, it is time to get their business.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a serious impact on Albania’s economy, as well as the regional economy. Facts, not allegations, clearly show that the Albanian government has used this crisis to destroy cultural and historical symbols, exercise police brutality against peaceful protesters and minors and to issue millions of Euros in suspicious tenders and concessions, while digging the proverbial hole in our fragile economy and endangered democracy to new depths that put at risk an actual chance of recovery in the next 20 years.
Albert Einstein said, “in the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.” For those that are paying attention, there have been unmistakable signs of capital flows away from China. It is a simple, yet powerful phenomenon in play, a great number of businesses that once ranked the cheap labor offered by China as a number one priority for their business models are now looking to move their operations away from the Chinese shores. Japan recently earmarked 2.2 billion USD to help its enterprises move production away from China. The arrival of COVID-19 has also prompted European companies to consider the establishment of safer supply chains. The reasons are numerous, including instability and insecurity within the Chinese business regime, the heightened political tensions between China and the Western democracies generated by, among other things, China’s refusal to be transparent about the COVID – 19 outbreak, and the brutal violence being used to crackdown on the Hong Kong protests.
It doesn’t take too much thinking to grasp what the opportunity is here. Albania is geographically attractive with plenty of access by sea and by land routes. The majority of the population in Albania is young, multilingual, educated and unemployed. The labor force of Albania is available for any type of need, from simple manufacturing to complex software programming. And to make it tangible for anyone who is paying attention, the price the companies would have to pay to hire this labor force would be extremely affordable, especially when considering the final product. The question is simple, WHERE IS THE GOVERNMENT?
Why isn’t the Albanian government creating an incentive package to attract these companies from the shores of China to the shores of the Adriatic? Why isn’t the Albanian government offering incentives like 20 year corporate tax exemption, guaranteed lowest VAT treatment in the region (including exemption for those that invest in strategic Albanian sectors), rent – free access to buildings and land that today lays to waste waiting for the next Albanian politician, gangster or both to lay claim to it? Why isn’t the Albanian government making a list of Western business targets that it would like to bring here and ask them what would it take for them to bring some of their operations to Albania? Why isn’t the Albanian government doing its job and securing the future of the youth of this country? Why aren’t the Albanian investment promotion agencies proactively working with foreign investors who have plans to move their operations? Why doesn’t the Albanian government put together a strategic plan of removing bottlenecks in air, sea, and road transport to facilitate logistics and attract investment. Why hasn’t it even thought about accelerating the settlement and transparency of taxation and customs procedures, particularly for foreign investors.
The answers will vary depending on the source. Yet, facts are hardheaded things that can hardly be hidden or manipulated, even by the only successful branch of this government, its Orwellian propaganda machine specializing in double-speak. The Albanian people have had enough of “bad” is “good”, “follow” is “lead”, “obey” is “freedom”, “ignorance” is “knowledge”. The Albanian people deserve better.
In every crisis there is an opportunity. There is no doubt that the world is in crisis. There is no doubt that China is in crisis. Albania cannot afford to continue to be in the 7-year long crisis of leadership, corruption and empty suits with power that steal, lie and cheat. It is time for Albania to be open for business and to show that it means it, it is time to put together an incentive package that tells the Western world that Albania wants to be better, wants to do better, and wants to do so together with the Western business community.
Talk is cheap! Doing nothing is way too expensive!
